About me
About the Provider
Maria Esperanza Rodrigo, MD, is the Medical Director for the Heart Transplant Program and attending physician in the Advanced Heart Failure Mechanical Circulatory Support & Cardiac Transplantation Program at MedStar Washington Hospital Center. She also directs the outpatient LVAD (left ventricular assist device) clinic. As a heart failure and transplant cardiologist, she primarily sees individuals with advanced heart failure, including patients requiring heart transplants and mechanical circulatory support. She also specializes in managing cardiovascular disease during pregnancy, including peripartum cardiomyopathy, and treats patients with infiltrative cardiomyopathies such as sarcoidosis and amyloidosis.
Dr. Rodrigo’s approach to treating patients with heart failure begins with a thorough evaluation to determine the type of treatment they will require. She initially offers treatment with medication, and often further advanced treatments, such as implantation of a LVAD or heart transplantation. Dr. Rodrigo specializes in determining the eligibility of patients for these advanced heart failure therapies. When LVAD implantation is necessary, Dr. Rodrigo is part of a multidisciplinary team that offers patients the latest technology available in the field. Dr. Rodrigo follows these patients in the pre-, peri- and post-surgical period.
With a strong interest in advancing the field of heart transplantation, Dr. Rodrigo is the site principal investigator for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) sponsored Genomic Research Alliance for Transplantation (GRAFT) study, a project across five area transplant hospitals that is exploring the use of cell-free DNA in heart transplantation. She is also the site principal investigator for SHORE (Surveillance HeartCare Outcomes Registry) assessing the utility of AlloMap (gene-expression profile) and AlloSure (donor-derived cell-free DNA) to more comprehensively monitor heart transplant recipients for allograft rejection.
After receiving her medical degree from Universidad Favaloro in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003, Dr. Rodrigo completed an NIH research fellowship in cardiovascular disease, during which she focused her work on endothelial progenitor cells. She then joined MedStar Washington Hospital Center/Georgetown University Hospital, where she completed her internal medicine residency in 2009, followed by a year as Chief Resident. Dr. Rodrigo then went on to complete a first fellowship in cardiology in 2013 and a second fellowship in advanced heart failure & transplant cardiology in 2014, both at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital/Washington Hospital Center. She is board certified internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology.
Philosophy of Care
“It’s important for me to have open communication with each of my patients to understand that person’s wishes, expectations and environment. This helps me to provide compassionate, individualized care that is most appropriate for the patient and their family.
“Patients who come to our program will be receiving the very best care that is available today. We generate a relationship that is long-term with each individual -- the patient becomes our patient for life, and it’s a journey that we go through together.”
Clinical areas of focus
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Conditions and procedures
Conditions I treat
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure (ADHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure (AHF)
- Advanced Heart Failure Care
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy (ARVC)
- Cardiac Sarcoidosis
- Cardiac Transplant Vasculopathy
- Cardiomyopathy
- Complications Of Cardiac And Vascular Prosthetic Devices
- Complications Of Heart Transplant
- Complications Of Transplanted Organs And Tissue
- Heart Disease
- Heart Failure
- Heart Transplant Rejection
- Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- Multiple Myeloma With Amyloidosis
- Myocarditis
- Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension
- Presence Of Cardiac And Vascular Implants
- Pulmonary Edema
- Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
- Rheumatic Heart Disease
- Valve Disease With Congestive Heart Failure
Procedures I perform
- Pulmonary Artery Pressure Monitoring
Insurance
MedStar Health accepts most major health insurance plans. If you are uncertain as to whether your individual health insurance plan is accepted at MedStar Health, please call your insurance company.
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List of insurance plans we accept
- TRICARE for Life East
- Optima Family Care MCO - VA Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Classic 3500
- Aetna Student Health Insurance
- Coventry Health Care of Virginia
- Network OA
- IH-EPO Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Advantage Signature and Select
- Advantra Platinum (PPO)
- IH-Open Network Only Plus
- CIGNA HMO & Network (HMO)
- CareFirst FEP Blue Focus
- Aetna Advantage 6350PD
- Aetna Worker's Compensation Network
- Kaiser Permanente HMO Plus and DHMO Plus Member
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice POS Cardiac Global
- Aetna Medicare Advantage PFFS Plan
- CIGNA EPO
- Optimum Choice & Optimum Choice Preferred (POS) Cardiac Global
- Healthy Blue (HMO, POS)
- United Healthcare Select Plus (POS)
- OCI Direct (HMO)
- Aetna Better Health of VA
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PPO
- Sentara Health
- Private Health Care Systems (PPO)
- MD IPA (HMO) & MD IPA Preferred Cardiac Global
- IH-Open POS Plus
- TRICARE East Prime
- Tricare Reserve Select
- MultiPlan, Inc
- Aetna Managed Choice (POS)
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage prescription drug benefit (PPO)
- Employee Health Plan
- United Healthcare Select HMO - EPO/NPP
- Aetna Traditional Choice (PPO)
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthcare Alliance
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (POS)
- Choice POS II
- CIGNA Connect EPO
- M.D. IPA (HMO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ EPO (Aetna Health Fund)
- Police and Fire Clinic
- Cigna Achieve Medicare (HMO C-SNP)
- TriWest Healthcare Alliance
- Kaiser Permanente Select
- CIGNA SureFit (HMO)
- Coventry Health Care National Network PPO
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO)
- United HealthCare Community Plan - Maryland Health Choice Program
- Aetna Advantage 6350
- HealthyBlue PPO
- HumanaChoice Honor's plan PPO
- First Health PPO
- CareFirst (NCA) Indemnity
- Select HMO/HealthFund/Health Network
- POS OA
- United Medicare Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) plans
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Basic
- Cigna TotalCare (HMO D-SNP)
- Health Services for Children with Special Needs
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (POS & POS OA)
- Cigna True Choice Medicare (PPO)
- Cigna Alliance Medicare (HMO)
- IH-PPO
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers Plus
- CareFirst Federal Employee Program (Std. & Basic PPO)
- Aetna HMO
- Beech Street PPO
- Humana Medicare Advantage - HMO Open Access
- Kaiser Permanente Signature - Added Choice
- United Healthcare Choice Plus Cardiac Global
- Mamsi Life & Health (Indem./PPO) Cardiac Global
- CareFirst MedStar PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Select - Added Choice
- TRICARE East Select
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Open Access
- Navigate
- Choice POS
- Anthem BCBS of VA HealthKeepers (HMO)
- Aetna VA Exchange
- IH-POS Plus
- CareFirst Administrators
- Veterans Affairs Community Care Network
- Lasso Healthcare - Medicare Medical Savings Account
- IH-Open EPO Plus
- CIGNA POS/Network POS
- United Healthcare Choice Cardiac Global
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- CareFirst Group Medicare Advantage
- BlueChoice Open Access
- Core Essential (HMO)
- Aetna Basic
- CareFirst Maryland Indemnity or PPO
- Jai Medical Systems - Maryland Health Choice
- IH-Indemnity
- Maryland Physicians Care MCO
- Kaiser Permanente Select Cardiac Global
- Aetna Premier 200PD
- CareFirst NASCO
- M.D. IPA Preferred (POS)
- Kaiser Permaenete Signature - Added Choice Cardiac Global
- Aetna HMO-Open Access/Select OA/HealthFund/Health Network Option OA
- NYC Medicare Advantage Plus
- Kaiser Permanente Signature
- IH-POS
- WellPoint Maryland - Maryland Health Choice
- AMERIVANTAGE/Amerigroup Community Care
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Advantage DSNP District of Columbia
- Medicare FFS
- CIGNA PPO
- Kaiser Permanente Medicare Plus
- IH-HMO
- CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Advantage Core/Enhanced
- Aetna Managed Choice Open Access (POS)
- Great-West Healthcare POS/CIGNA
- UnitedHealthcare Medicare Adv. Special Needs Plans
- Erickson Advantage Plans
- United Healthcare Navigate Cardiac Global
- Cigna Preferred Medicare (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage - PPO
- Optimum Choice
- United Healthcare Select HMO-EPO/NPP Cardiac Global
- Aetna Better Health of MD
- MedStar Family Choice DC Healthy Families
- UnitedHealthcare Individual Exchange Plans
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue SNP
- Aetna Signature Administrator PPO/TPA
- CareFirst Blue Card Program
- CIGNA Indemnity
- Geisinger Medicare Advantage
- Choice Care Network/HUMANA (PPO)
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD HMO
- BCBS of Michigan (BCN Advantage,Security Blue, Freedom, Medicare PLUS Blue Group PPO)
- Anthem Federal Employee Program Standard
- Coventry of Delaware HMO/PPO
- UHC Passport
- Aetna Open Choice (PPO)
- HumanaChoice PPO
- Medicare Direct
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthcare Alliance
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Plus
- DC/MD SHOP QHP Small Business Plans
- AmeriHealth Caritas DC Healthy Families
- CareFirst Blue Choice Opt Out Plus Open Access (POS)
- First Health PPO
- HUMANA/Choice Care Medicare Plans (Choice, Gold Choice)
- CareFirst EPO
- UHC Group Medicare Advantage Plans (HMO, POS, PPO)
- Aetna Elect Choice/ Open Access (POS)
- Choice POS II Open Access
- IH-Open POS II
- UnitedHealthcare and AARP Medicare Complete Plans
- CareFirst MedStar Select PPO
- Magellan Complete Care of VA - VA Medicaid MCO
- United Healthcare Choice Plus
- MedStar Family Choice - Maryland Health Choice
- Optimum Choice Preferred (POS)
- United Healthcare Community Plan - VA Medicaid MCO
- Cigna True Choice Plus Medicare (PPO)
- BCBS Out-of-State Medicare Plans (Blue Advantage)
- CareFirst Community Health Plan of MD
- CareFirst Dual Prime HMO-SNP
- IH-Network Only Plus
- CareFirst Blue Preferred PPO
- Options PPO Cardiac Global
- Kaiser Permanente Flexible Choice 3-tier POS
- Aetna Advantage 5750
- Priority Partners - Maryland Health Choice
- Amerigroup DC Healthy Families
- Humana Gold Plus HMO
- CareFirst BlueChoice HMO
- OA Plus
- Choice Fund PPO
- Kaiser Maryland Medicaid MCO
- Aetna Medicare Advantage HMO & PPO Plans
- Alterwood Advanatge HMO & DSNP Plans
- Anthem BCBS Medi Blue Dual Adv
- Johns Hopkins Advantage MD PLUS PPO
- Aetna Classic 5000
- IH-Open HMO
- CareFirst Maryland Point of Service Plan
- United Healthcare Choice
- United Student Resources
- CIGNA PPO Plus
- Medicare Advantage - Advantra Value (PPO)
- Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)
- Blue Choice Advantage
- HighMark
- Aetna Classic 5000PD
- IH-Open HMO Option
- Anthem BCBS of VA Key Care POS/PPO/Indemnity
- United Healthcare Options (PPO)
- Fee-for-Service (FFS) District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia Medicaid
- Amerigroup DC Alliance
- CIGNA HMO Open Access
Videos
Education
Board Certification: American Board of Internal Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2014)
Fellowship: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2013)
Residency: MedStar Washington Hospital Center (2010)
Medical School: Universidad Favaloro (2003)